Curtains are a very important design element that greatly influences the impression of those present about the owners in the first minutes of their stay in the room. It is no secret that a room can be visually changed with a skillful combination of colors and furnishings: increase the height of the ceiling, expand or narrow the room, create a feeling of lightness and spaciousness. The opposite effect can be, for example, the "pressure" of the walls, the enumeration of bright colors, non-observance of the style and the piling up of objects. One of the important factors of human perception of the space in the house is the curtains - their colors, texture, fittings, length, type and style, so it is important to understand the intricacies of the selection of "clothes" for windows in the interior.
Fashion options
Fashion is a fluid concept. Each time dictates its own rules and preferences. Nevertheless, surrounding himself with objects in accordance with modern trends, a person feels more comfortable. Stylish today can be called both curtains made of fabrics that are simple in texture, but multi-layered, and with accentuating pretentious monograms. Bright unusual accessories - brushes, ribbons, tie-backs, curtain holders, lambrequins, ruffles, fringes and so on - are in high esteem. You can create a unique style by matching the curtains with an unusual border (edging along the edge). There is only one rule - this element should be in harmony with the general image of the curtains and at the same time emphasize the contrast. Stylization for ethno, art, glamor will become good if the main fabric is in soothing colors.
Today, curtains with drawings in the style of painting are becoming more and more popular, with large irregular geometric shapes such as zigzags, ovals, broken lines, with textured printed embroidery. However, do not forget about ombre curtains (a change in tone on one canvas) and watercolor blurry colors, which will fill the room with lightness, airiness and a cheerful mood.
Layering is a direction that conquered people with its originality and many variations. Its presence is observed both in the clothes of a modern person and in the decoration of the windows of his home. The combination of two curtains of different colors and textures, colored and monochromatic, make the window the central theme of the interior in contrast.
However, when choosing curtains, one should not forget their main purpose: they are designed to hide residents from light (sun, moon, night street lights). Therefore, regardless of fashion, it is important to determine the main function of the curtains in the room: will they serve primarily as night curtains or protect the daytime rest.
How and what to select?
First of all, you need to look at the room through the eyes of a critic in order to understand how you can visually change its parameters and decorate the window space. With small windows, it will be right to opt for translucent, light curtains that facilitate the penetration of a sufficient amount of light. They will also add natural light and create coziness with curtains with tiebacks.
"Complex" windows are usually best hidden from view. In this case, contrasting color combinations of curtains will help, which will "intercept" the attention of the guests who entered the room. If you wrap up the window-sill part of the wall with curtains, the area with the windows will look wider.
Choosing the right decoration for the windows, the look of the room will not only be complete, but also convey the mood of the owner. There are three ways to match curtains to the interior:
- curtains should be combined with furniture, walls or decor items;
- they can be in tune with the interior or they will focus on themselves with their bright color;
- what is the priority - functional or curtain decor? Or it might be worth considering how to put it together.
When two primary colors are visible in the room, you need to choose curtains to match one of them. Curtains should be a few shades darker or lighter than walls. If the wallpaper is plain, you can stay on curtains with a large pattern - this will visually enlarge the room. Accordingly, if there is a large and intricate print on the walls, you should limit yourself to discreet monochromatic fabrics.
If you choose curtains that contrast in color with the walls, try to maintain the color of the curtains with other decor items.
It so happens that you want to create an interior in one color, so that you can then call the room "pale pink" or "light green", for example. In this case, it is preferable to play with halftones, light and dark edges of the same palette. The curtains in this case should match the main color of the room, but have patterns. This will bring liveliness to the atmosphere.
Speaking about the functions of curtains, you need to consider their types. Japanese, for example, are designed to divide space into zones, since they look like a stretched canvas or screen that moves horizontally with the help of special cornices. In the case of using such curtains, choose a fabric with an unusual pattern or texture.
Roller blinds are used for quick transformation, a convenient opportunity to let sunlight into the room if necessary. They are appropriate if there is no need to hide the room from the outside. For example, in the apartments of a high-rise building. In this case, the fabric is wound on a shaft, the curtain can be fixed at the required height.
Roman blinds, unlike roller blinds, when lifting with the help of a special mechanism, they fold into soft horizontal folds, while leaving an even canvas on top. They look softer due to the fact that the waves give the whole structure a certain charm against the background of apparent simplicity.
Blinds are gaining more and more popularity in our rapid time. It is difficult to find someone who is not familiar with this type of room shading. They are used in combination with and without fabric curtains. Tulle curtains on their background look, undoubtedly, more delicate, but the blinds are functionally more beneficial in terms of protecting the room from external lighting.
Under furniture
Furniture "lives" in our house for a long time. To buy a new furniture set, you need to decide on global changes and sufficient cash spending. If this is not possible, and the soul requires changes in its space, the easiest way to satisfy such a desire is to change the curtains.
Simple knowledge will help to choose the right curtains for furniture: they should be in harmony with the color and texture of the furniture material, its covers or bedspreads. However, you should not hang curtains made of the same material as the bedspread, otherwise it will seem that the curtains have covered furniture or the bedspread was hung instead of curtains.
The style of furniture plays an important role. If it is inherently classic, then straight canvases of curtains and tulle curtains will add a kind of severity to the room, and tie-backs and lambrequins will help soften it. A correctly selected pattern on the curtain fabric is able to bring together an ensemble of wallpapers, carpets (if any) and furniture.
For owners of large windows and the Art Nouveau style in the interior, French curtains will be an excellent option - a cascading type of curtains, where many flowing lush folds are connected by separate sections. When they are sewn, they use elastic fabric to make the drapery look weightless and sophisticated. As a rule, these are smooth textures of tulle, organza, cambric and others. Such curtains will bring a unique chic and rich decoration to the room.
The main characteristic of Scandinavian-style furniture is its simplicity and reliability.… It is usually made of natural materials and has light colors. Northern Scandinavian peoples respect nature very much, therefore, a distinctive feature of this style in the interior is a lot of natural light and free space. Therefore, the curtains must be chosen from light-colored light-transparent fabric so that they are in harmony in color with furniture made from such tree species as beech, pine, spruce and birch.
A style called Minimalism is becoming very popular. It has become especially popular with the younger generation, who chooses a fast-paced life, where sometimes there is no time for details. In such an interior, everything is kept to a minimum - furniture, decor and things. Roller blinds, roman blinds and blinds will be a natural choice for such apartments.
Under the ceiling
The height of the ceilings in the house is not always sufficient. But, as they say, there are no hopeless situations, you need to proceed from what is. As always, optical illusion will do a good job. With its help, it is possible to create the illusion of high ceilings. Some rules for the selection of curtains and decorating windows with them will help with this.
The effect of high ceilings in the room is created by vertical lines, which will be the curtains. Let it be straight canvases of curtains and the same flowing tulle, without curly drawings and ornaments. A properly selected curtain rod can also play a significant role in raising the ceiling. You need to fix it as high as possible to the ceiling. Ideally, hide it behind a skirting board. This gives the impression that the curtains are pouring straight from the ceiling and pulling out the space.
Forged cornices are almost invisible. And if you apply curtains on the grommets to the floor (they are put on directly on the curtain rod through the rings inserted into the curtain), you get beautiful even folds - what you need!
Straight classic curtains are not always boring. You can choose multi-layer contrasting curtains or use a contrasting edging when sewing curtains. The main thing is that this bright color is present in the interior decor. I wanted something unusual - Japanese curtains will do. But at the same time it is important to execute them from several narrow strips. Straight long canvases will create the desired effect and make the room exotic.
Drawing curtains requires careful attention. To visually make the room taller, it is better to use elongated narrow patterns or lines. At the same time, the fabric of the curtains should be ideally combined with the walls and furniture. If the wallpaper already has a similar pattern, then you need to refrain from repeating it on the curtains. To visually increase the height of the room, you should not choose curtains with lambrequins and draperies.
To the floors
The floors and walls have the largest area in the house, so in no case should they be discounted when shaping the interior. The floor can be wooden, covered with ceramic tiles, linoleum and all kinds of soft floor coverings. Its color scheme plays an important role for the overall appearance of the room in combination with other household items. More often than not, the flooring is different in different rooms. This is understandable, because the floor in the children's room and in the kitchen play completely different functions.
Based on the above, there are some rules for selecting curtains in accordance with the selected floors. In large rooms, you can afford both light and dark floors. In small rooms, it is more appropriate to choose light ones.
There should be no more than four colors in one room. However, their shades can be much more. The curtains will harmoniously fit into the interior if they are in the same color palette with the floor and the wood of the furniture. When the floor and walls are light, it is necessary to purchase contrasting curtains and several decor items to match them. Long curtains, the bottom edge of which lies in graceful folds on the floor, must certainly be combined with its color.
How to combine textiles?
Textiles play an important role in the interior, as they give it softness, create coziness and bring completeness to it. In addition to curtains, textiles include capes, bedspreads, cushions, tablecloths, rugs. Here are the rules to help harmonize the space with textiles:
- walls can be decorated in the lightest colors - this is, relatively speaking, the first color;
- furniture will have the second color;
- a combination of the first and second colors should be used for curtains and other textiles;
- the carpet (floor covering) must be chosen a few shades darker than the first color.
For example, if the wallpaper is light gray, and the upholstery or cape of upholstered furniture is purple, then the curtains may not be monochromatic - with gray and purple patterns on a white or beige background. It is worth putting decorative pillows on the sofa, some of them are made of the same fabric as the curtains, and the second part is made of gray material, which will be in harmony with the wallpaper in color. The carpet (if necessary) should be gray, but a few shades darker than the walls.
How do I fit?
In order for the curtains on the windows to look rich and tasteful, it is necessary to apply some rules for calculating the width of the canvas. Excessive drapery of curtains in a small room on a small window is inappropriate. For translucent fabrics, measurements should be made based on the length of the curtain rod:
- the length of the cornice up to 1.4 m is equal to the width of the curtains (curtains in small kitchens);
- 1.5 - 2 m - the width of the curtains is 1.5 times longer than the cornice;
- 2 - 2.8 m - the width of the curtains is 2 times the length of the cornice;
- 2.8 - 3.4 m - 2.5 times more;
- 3.4 - 4 m - 2.5-3 times more.
For thick curtains, the coefficient should not exceed 1.7.
Color combinations
In a beige and brown interior, if you need to maintain neutrality, you need to choose sand, cream, milky tulle with flowers and light brown curtains. Chocolate or wenge colors will also look good in this case. For contrasting curtains, aquamarine, peach, yellow, green and their shades are suitable. In a turquoise room, it is better to use curtains of light colors or turquoise, but different in tone from the walls. A discreet pattern on turquoise curtains will make the environment more fun.
Black and white curtains can be a very effective object in the interior against the background of neutral walls and a black leather sofa.… Both gray curtains of all shades and white and pink curtains are suitable for pink walls. For a purple or lilac sofa - calm tones of peach, milky and ocher. The red sofa will look great against the background of beige, blue and white, golden tones of walls and curtains.
Dark blue curtains can bring freshness and coolness to the interior … And lemon light curtains will create the presence of the sun even on the most cloudy morning. Curtains with cherry stripes in combination with cream and brown will provide an opportunity to decorate the interior in the same shades. Bright pink tones in the framing of the windows will help the hostess to feel more feminine, younger, and add charm to the room.
Examples in interior design
The selection of curtains can be considered using the example of a studio apartment, where there are no interior doors. The whole space is, in fact, one room. The hall, dining room, bedroom in such apartments are separate zones, separated from each other by furniture, sliding screens or curtains. In these apartments, as a rule, two (or more) windows are located side by side, although they belong to zones of different functionality.
The kitchen area and the living room area will visually help to distinguish between different models of curtains. For example, there are long curtains in the living room, and roller blinds on the kitchen window. Another option is to use curtains of different lengths from the same material.
In this case, the kitchen curtains are sewn to the windowsill, and in the living room - to the floor. If you need to create a single ensemble of curtains for two windows, use a long window cornice for the entire width of the wall. Curtains in this case are selected for the two zones the same.
Choosing curtains can be fun for those in the know.
For information on how to choose the right curtains, see the next video.